President Dwight Eisenhower’s defense policy during the Cold
War was based heavily on nuclear deterrence because the World War II general
believed that any direct conflict with the forces of the Soviet Union would
quickly escalate to a strategic nuclear exchange making conventional armed
forces irrelevant. It also saved U.S.
taxpayers a lot of money if the Pentagon wasn’t caught up in a needless
conventional arms race with their Soviet counterparts. Eisenhower’s successor, John Kennedy, was
chilled by the thought that his only military option would be all-out
thermonuclear war. He believed this
all-or-nothing posture lacked credibility and he instituted measures that
called for a graduated response to hostilities. This meant NATO must now be able to defend
itself against the conventional forces of the
Warsaw Pact in the event of European war. The men, armor and planes required for a
credible conventional defense would mean
writing new government checks for a lot of money. It also meant reconsidering NATO’s tactical
strategy.

Spain one of purchasers of Harriers

At the outbreak of hostilities the air forces of the two,
large opposing armies would quickly rise to the air and attack, among other
targets, the large air bases of their enemy.
NATO military planners knew these attacks on their air arm could
potentially devastate their defensive ability.
It would be ideal if aircraft didn’t require long runways. They could be easily dispersed and hard to
find. This would require a jet that
could take-off like a helicopter or, at the very least, become airborne after a
running start using a short piece of land.
The technology barely existed in 1960 but the British were committed to
developing it.

Aerial Refueling

The first operational VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing)
combat jet, the Harrier GR.1, entered service with the RAF in 1969. Although it was capable of vertical lift the
aircraft actually required a runway of nearly a couple hundred meters if it was
to carry a worthwhile payload of military ordinance. Under wartime conditions a short piece of farm
road would do, so there was little practical penalty. The RAF Harrier quickly proved itself to be
highly maneuverable, with impressive acceleration and, because of its vectoring
nozzles, could decelerate rapidly and make very sharp turns – giving it real
advantages as a dogfighter. It caught
the attention of both the Royal Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. The aircraft’s short runway requirement meant
the fleet could have an air arm without the expense of maintaining large
carriers. This would also benefit the
Marines as they could provide close air support for opposed amphibious landings
from small decked assault ships nearby. Once
the landing had been secured the Harriers, known as the AV-8A by the Marines,
could operate from relatively primitive areas close to the front lines. This gave them short response time and the
ability to provide more frequent missions.
Here was an aircraft truly suited the Marine Corps’ mission. It proved to be more capable than its own A-4
Skyhawk.

Vector nozzles give Harrier VTOL capability

It was during the Falklands War in 1982 when the world took
note of this revolutionary aircraft and its contribution towards England’s
victory over Argentina. In this instance
it was the Royal Navy’s Sea Harrier version that made news by shooting down 23
opposing aircraft while losing none of its own to aerial combat. Among the aircraft lost were eleven Dassault
Mirages and eight A-4 Skyhawks. Such
aircraft should have made for more competitive dogfights but while the
Argentinian pilots were courageous they didn’t have near the training or the
effective tactics of the British flyers.
It also helped that the Sea Harriers were armed with AIM-9L Sidewinder
missiles which proved to be far more reliable than their earlier predecessors.

Underside view reveals hard points and vector nozzles

The up-graded Harrier II Plus and the U.S. Marine’s AV-8B became
much improved close-air support, ground-attack aircraft with improved radar
systems and far more power that enabled it to carry a far greater weapons
load. It is relied upon now by ground
troops in this role and will continue to be until it is replaced by the new Joint
Strike Force aircraft, the F-35, that is expected to become operational for the
Marines in 2015.